Versailles Council

Allied military coordinating committee in the latter stages of World War I.

After the Italian defeat at Caporetto October 1917, the British premier Lloyd George led a movement to set up a supreme Allied council to coordinate the military effort. A leading soldier from each Allied country sat on the council, although most soldiers were critical of the idea of command by committee and General Robertson resigned as British Chief of Staff in protest. In fact it was largely a piece of political mischief by Lloyd George who detested both Haig and Robertson and hoped to isolate them and reduce their authority. In the event, the German Spring Offensive 1918 and the appointment of Marshall Foch as Allied supreme commander made the council redundant and it had no further effect on the war.